Reapers of the Dark (Cora Roberts #4)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

If no good deed goes unpunished, does that make us masochists?

I drifted on a pulsing ocean. A deep, dark force supported my weight as I laid on my back and stared at the night stars above. They winked at me, souls that I was responsible for, and kept burning brightly with the force of my power. I wouldn’t let them be snuffed out. Not today.

It was peaceful here, free of pain, free of responsibility, free of demands. Which meant I was hallucinating or dreaming, because my life was not free of those things. It hadn’t been since… well, forever.

As a child, my grandmother made sure I experienced the worst of the world. She taught me how to compartmentalize and not fold under the pressure of agony. I sought a noble profession to offset the hurt and pain of my childhood and ended up falling for a man who used me. And when he couldn’t get what he wanted, he too chose pain as his persuasion method.

Now, I was in the arms of a man who fought to protect me, offering glimmers of hope and happiness amid the chaos and destruction. He was everything good when evil stalked my life. If I was selfless, I would push him away—a broken heart now in place of devastation down the road. But it would protect him, give him the distance he needed to make the right decisions for his people without the added burden of shielding his mate, who, despite her protests, kept finding herself at the center of it all, again and again.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Hudson to wake up and realize the mistake he was making.

“Cora.”

Speak of the devil. Wait. That was in poor taste, given I spoke to the actual devil more times than I’d like.

“You can release them now. You did it. They’re safe.”

The stars blazed brighter. So pretty. So delicate. So much potential. I liked them here, where I could watch over them.

“Let them go.”

No. I have to keep them safe forever. This world would tear them apart. I could protect them. I tugged at the stars in the sky, and they lurched closer to me.

The beast inside me raised her head to stare at the souls in our care.

“Unless you’re ready to reap souls, I suggest you release them.”

Reap? No, I was just caretaking them. I pulled them closer. Just a little more and they would be safe forever.

“Your funeral, but our mate won’t be impressed if you take fifteen shifter children after you just saved them.”

Children? Oh… I released the tether immediately, and they sprung back into the night sky.

My body grew heavy, and I sank beneath the surface of the water. The dark overtook my vision, and my lungs burned as I was dragged lower and lower. My ears buzzed with pressure, and I had the irrational thought that my brain was about to explode.

Suddenly, the heaviness lifted, and I dragged in a ragged breath. My eyes flipped open to connect with hazel ones I would forever dream about. My hand came up and wrapped around his neck.

“You’re here.”

He leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine. “And you are in so much trouble.”

I twisted my head to look around the room. We were on one of the sofas pushed against the wall of the makeshift ward. Parents of the ill children crowded the room, but they weren’t looking at their offspring—they were staring at me with looks of reverence on most of their faces. Dave, on the other hand, was scowling. Nothing unusual there. Liz frowned from her position next to him against the wall.

Norbert cut off my vision as he stepped in front of them and tilted his head. “How are you feeling?”

“Like death warmed up.” I almost snorted at the joke. “How are the kids?”

Norbert gave me a forced smile. “Right as rain. They are just heading home. Their fevers broke, and their rashes have all but disappeared.”

The door opened and the quiet rumblings of shifters grew distant as they left the pack house. I could feel the lives I’d held in my palms drifting away and part of me rebelled against their absence.

Norbert checked me over while I laid in Hudson’s lap.

“Let me up,” I coaxed.

Hudson shook his head, his jaw ticcing. “No.”

My eyes skittered down his shirt. There was blood splatter on the collar. “What happened?” I asked as Norbert took my blood pressure.

Hudson’s face crumpled into a frown. “What happened? You put yourself at risk. Again. You walked the edge of death for other people.”

“Your people,” I reminded him. It wasn’t like I was jumping around in a random place, outing myself and my abilities, both new and old.

Norbert leaned back with a sigh. “You are physically fit and well, but I would suggest some sleep and food to replenish what you have lost. I kept an IV going while you were unconscious so you didn’t dehydrate.”

“How long was I out?”

Norbert met Hudson’s eyes, and with a nod, he turned on his heel and marched out the door. My aunt and Dave had also left, leaving me alone with The Principal.

“When did you realize you could hold people’s souls in your hands and force them to live?” Hudson asked. I scowled at him and tried to sit up. He pressed a hand to my chest. “No, Cora, you need to rest.”

“How long was I out?” I repeated.

“Thirty-five hours.”

I blinked. It felt like ten minutes, an hour at most.

“That’s—”

“Terrifying,” he snapped. “I go away for a few hours to help a small pack navigate a tragedy. I am engulfed in death, burnt flesh, and grief. And when I return home after receiving a message about a pox outbreak, I find my mate in a coma, clinging to life by a thread as she literally pumps the hearts of fifteen people at death’s door.”

I dragged in a long breath and let it out slowly. “I didn’t hide this from you. Until now, it wasn’t something I knew I could do. It would have come in quite handy a few times recently.”

“You scared me, Cora. I can’t lose you.”

My hand lifted and cupped his cheek. He turned his head and kissed my palm. “I’m okay,” I whispered. He shuddered, his eyes filled with a level of despair that broke my heart. “I’m safe.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I’m here in your arms.”

His arms tightened around me as he whispered brokenly, “You can’t die.”

I mean, I could—I wasn’t invincible. But I had too much to live for to opt out that easily. Knowing that Hudson was fully committed wiped away the jealousy and worry I had about Mercy. I needed to stop doubting him, as it wasn’t healthy for either of us.

After several moments, I worked up the courage to ask, “Where is Mercy?”

“Where she should be, with her pack. I had a stern heart to heart with her. She either refocuses her attention on those who depend on her, or she loses the pack. I will bring them in under me, and she will lose her station in the hierarchy.”

Well played, mate. Well played indeed. “So there wasn’t anything suspicious about the fire or the kids’ illness?” I checked. How long had it been since we had disasters that weren’t linked to something bigger? Too long. Meaning I was always looking for some kind of supernatural power play.

“No, nothing suspicious. Although you can expect questions now that you’ve shown your power to several of the families. I’ve done what I can to mitigate it, but the fact is, every single set of supernatural ears heard how you tamed erratic heartbeats and brought others back from the brink. For now, they are just grateful to have their babies, but the time is coming where you will need to decide how to explain who you are.”

I grimaced. No good deed goes unpunished.